


300 Followers

by TheBestTeacup



Category: The 100
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot, Prompt Fill, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-23
Packaged: 2018-05-20 07:40:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5997265
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBestTeacup/pseuds/TheBestTeacup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of unrelated one shots that were prompted to me by many of my amazing followers!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Five Earthly Moments With Vera

**Author's Note:**

> I have many more prompts in my inbox, and I am looking forward to writing stories to go with them. These first four are the ones i managed to get done today :)

I. 

For their first few minutes on the ground, Marcus thought of nothing but the people within his own fallen station. One by one he, Abby, and Sinclair helped the other survivors climb from the ship and down onto the ground beside it. Abby then checks for any injuries that may have occurred, while Marcus and a few of his guards eyed the area to make sure everything was safe. It was only after the first initial shock of being on solid ground, in sunlight, had worn off that his mind drifted the other stations. One in particular. 

He tried to keep his focus on the people he had with him, as they moved through the woods towards the smoke they had seen earlier. He would have answers about the other stations soon enough, but it would be useless if he wasn’t paying attention and got himself and the crowd with him hurt or killed. 

The worry increased as they day went on with no sign of any of their people. Had theirs been the only station to survive the fall from space? There were only about a hundred of them in their area, and only twenty were guards. That number would be futile in keeping the rest of the Arkers safe. He told himself it was the large number of guards upon alpha that had him praying that particular station had successfully landed. 

It had nothing to do with a petite woman with large brown eyes that showed nothing but love when they came to him. He had no room to be concerned about her. 

Except, apparently his whole brain didn’t feel that methodical, because as soon as they found out Alpha was safe, his chest felt a little lighter. And when they finally made it to the biggest piece of their former home, he was surprised he had to blink back tears as he saw her waiting for him. 

She stood there, face shining as she watched him approach, her treasured tree clasped tightly in her arms. 

“Mom,” he greeted, giving her a tiny smile. 

Vera was not going for propriety however, and wasted no time slinging an arm around his neck and pulling him down to kiss his cheek. 

“Can you believe it?” she asked when she released him, “We are on earth! It is a miracle.” 

Marcus mind swept to the drop ship they found earlier that day, one with charred bodies all around and an extremely injured Raven within. He wasn’t sure if miracle was the right word for the things they had seen thus far, but he was not about to kill this womans joy. 

“It is that mom,” he eyed the tree, “I know you are going to ask to go plant that. But let us give it a day or two. We aren’t sure what we are dealing with yet.” 

“My son, always using logic to show he loves his mother.” 

Marcus smiled once more and kissed her head before walking off to deal with his duties. 

II. 

He stood before the whipping posts, the crowds long cleared, watching as the straps that had held Abby in place swayed in the wind. Guilt twisted his stomach as he replayed over and over the image of the stubborn woman screaming as Bryne pushed the electric baton against her flesh. Never would he get the noise, the smell, nor the pain out of his mind. It was probably the worst thing he had ever seen, and he had seen a lot of troubling things in his life. 

“I don’t think I need to tell you that what happened today was bad.” 

Marcus startled at the voice so close to him, and turned to find his mom standing there with a worried look that was part reprimand, part love. 

“I am forty-three mom, I don’t need any lectures.” 

Vera laughed, a humorless noise, “Oh there are times when I think you do, but this is not one of them. The look on your face tells me you have learned your lesson. They took her in ten minutes ago, why not go talk to her?” 

Turning, Marcus gave a heavy sigh, “I have to go deal with that grounder prisoner. We need answers. Besides, I am sure the last thing Abby wants to see is me at the moment.” 

“Have hope Marcus,” Vera called to him as he began to walk away, “without hope we are nothing. I am sure in time she will forgive you, as sure as I am that you will find another way to keep order around here.” 

Her words gave him pause. 

_Another way._

_There has to be another way._

Abby’s voice floating through is mind, so upset over him trying to sacrifice himself in the sky sent a knife a guilt through his stomach; but it also gave him an idea. Squaring his shoulders, he sent a look over his shoulder to his mom who had turned to look at where Abby had been tortured, and then went off to meet with the grounder. He had a plan. 

~~~

When he returned to Camp Jaha several weeks later, a little leaner and a lot more aged from his imprisonment, he did indeed feel as if he had found another way. There was a commander- a young girl with wisdom like he had never seen- and a coalition, and plans to bring peace between the grounders and sky people. 

And there was Abby, waiting for him at the gates with warm, happy eyes; and words of greeting on her lips. 

The whipping posts were gone as well, and Marcus gave pause when he spotted his mother’s beloved tree planted where Abby had taken her punishment on that horrid day. 

“Hope son,” Vera whispered making him jump (how did she manage to sneak up on him like that?). She cast a glance at Abby who was walking into Alpha station a few feet ahead, “It is a beautiful thing.” 

There was a knowing look in her eye, that he could not begin to decipher, so he just touched her shoulder in greeting and moved to discuss the issue of Finn with his chancellor. And if there was an easy going grin on his face as he did so, it had nothing to do with his mother’s suggestive tone. 

III. 

Vera was awoken at 5am by the chaos that was their people returning from Tondc. There had been word that the grounder village had been blown up by the mountain men, but no one knew who had survived. She had stood still since, her heart terrified for her son, only falling asleep a few hours prior when exhaustion had won out. If she never saw him again, she wasn’t sure what she would do. 

To her great relief, as she stepped from her tent near the gate of the camp, she saw that Marcus was indeed very much alive. Though he was strapped to a gurney and covered with blankets, his eyes were open and he was looking around warily. 

Vera rushed towards him, her eyes shooting over his body before falling on Abby who wearily walked beside her son, “What happened?” 

The young doctor paused in her steps and then shot her assistant a look, “Jackson prep Kane for surgery, I will be there in just a moment.” 

As the young man moved to do what he was told, with the guards and gurney close behind, Abby turned to her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, “He will be okay. His femoral artery has been cut, but I have it stabilized at the moment. Give me a couple hours with him, and we will be good as new.” 

Vera wasn’t exactly sure what a femoral artery was, but she knew it meant blood loss and the explosion had been so long ago…

“Will there be any complications?” 

Abby sighed and followed the progress of the men as they moved into medical, “There are risks, but they are slight and your son is stubborn. I promise the most he will come out with is a nasty scar.”

“I trust you,” Vera offered, “just take care of my baby. And don’t tell him I called him that.” 

~~~

Three hours later Vera was informed that Marcus was out of surgery; she did not waste any time getting across camp to see for herself. 

She paused however as she entered the makeshift medical facility, her heart warming to find Abby sitting beside her son, his hand clasped in hers. Marcus slept as his doctor peered down a him, her fingers absently brushing the hair off his forehead. 

“You see,” the young woman was whispering, a teary smile on her face, “I told you we would be okay. You’re okay.” 

Vera hated to end the moment, but her observant eyes took note of Abby’s swaying stance and knew the poor woman needed to be relieved whether she wanted to be or not. So, with a bit of a heavy heart she moved forward and placed a hand on the woman’s shoulder. 

“I see you kept your word.” 

Abby smiled tiredly, and pulled back from Marcus, not even embarrassed that she had been caught being so intimate with him, “Well, how could I not? He is crucial to our peace.” 

Vera smiled knowingly, but decided not to push her, allowing her to move to a cot to lie down instead. There would be plenty of time to talk about feelings after this god forsaken war with the mountain was over. For now, she would keep watch over her son, and his exhausted who was passed out near by. She was nothing if not patient. 

IV

“This looks familiar.” 

Marcus jumped in his seat, his hand squeezing Abby’s slightly as he turned to look at his mother standing at the foot of the medical cot. 

“How are you so stealth mom!? I swear I am going to tie a bell on you one of these days.” 

She ignored his threat and moved to stand on the other side of Abby’s bed, eyes glancing over the resting woman, “How is she?” 

Sighing, Marcus reached up to push some of the hair from Abby’s face, stopping short when he remembered he had an audience, “She is fine, Jackson got her wounds all fixed up. He also gave her serious pain killers so she can sleep for few hours.” 

“From what I hear she is going to need it.” 

Closing his eyes, Marcus pushed the images of Abby painfully arching on the table in the mountain from his mind, though it was impossible to get her screams to leave him. He thought watching her get shock lashed was terrible, but nothing compared to being chained to a wall and watching her be tortured. He had no control in the mountain, nothing that could have saved her. If it wasn’t for Clarke’s quick thinking…no, he would not think about what could have happened. He needed to stay focused on the here and now. 

“What is familiar?” 

“Hm?” 

“You said this looks familiar,” he stated, glancing at his mother in confusion, “what were you talking about?” 

Vera smiled at him with a hint of knowingness he couldn’t decipher and shrugged, “I was referring to when you were first recovering after Tondc. I found Abby in the exact same position you are in right now. I thought I was going to have to fight her away from you, but luckily she was so exhausted she let me take watch.” 

“Abby stood by me? Why?” 

“Marcus for such a smart man, you can be so clueless at times.” 

He scrunched his brow, and glared at her, “I just feel as if you are trying to tell me something, and I am too worn out for games mother.” 

His grumpiness seemed to have no effect on the woman, who just turned her attention to Abby once more and stroked her face, “You will know soon enough son.” 

Knowing he was not going to get anything out of her, Marcus rolled his eyes and went back to watching his friend sleep. He would have to ask her when she woke up if there was any possibility of his mother losing it in her old age. 

V. 

Her son was not going to be chancellor. 

When Vera got the news that Pike, of all people, had been elected it took all of her strength not to scream in frustration. What was wrong with their people that they did not see the benefit of the grounder alliance? How could they judge eleven nations off the action of one? She was not too involved in the war, but she knew enough to know that Ice Nation was alone in its acts of war. To threaten the army outside their gates, who had come to help them, was reckless; and to elect the man who backed such dangerous activities was even more so. 

Always and forever a mother, Vera moved through the halls of Alpha station, eyes searching for her son so she could offer her comfort. 

She found him in his (or was his) office, and paused to smile at the what she found. 

Abby stood with her boy, arms wrapped around his neck, as his were around her waist. The young woman had her eyes closed, and was whispering to Marcus as he rested his head on her shoulder, a slight tremble in his own. 

“This is a mistake Abby,” he gritted out, “he is going to commit and act of war. He is going to hurt good people, and I don’t know how to stop it.” 

“Shh…I know, I don’t either. But you have to remember one thing.”

Marcus pulled back and looked down at his companion, “What?”

Hands reached up and cupped his cheeks and Vera had to smile at how right the two of them looked in the moment. War, and lost elections aside, she could not help but be delighted to see these two stubborn should were finally figuring one thing out. 

“Whatever happens, no matter what Pike leads us into, and no matter what we have to do to help keep peace; we are in this together.” 

“Together,” Marcus whispered back, and bent to press his lips against hers in a sweet but loving kiss. 

Vera watched them embrace for a second more, and then backed away from the door. There were dark times ahead, no doubt, but she was content knowing her son had found himself a safe haven.


	2. An Instant Attraction

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kateera Prompted: Abby brings a horrible cake to a school bake sale and Marcus purchases it. Take it where you want :D

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There might be much more to this story, so keep an eye out :)

“What on earth is  _that_?”

Marcus looked up from the table of desserts he was pursing at the Jefferson Elementary bake sale, his gaze falling on a snotty blonde mom, whose name he thought was Diana, and on…something…that was sitting on a platter in another mother’s hand. 

If he squinted he could almost see that the object in question was supposed to be a cake, but it was hard to tell. It was greatly disfigured, and whoever iced it had obviously done so before the it had fully cooled. It was really a pathetic attempt at a dessert, but he didn’t see why someone had to be so rude as to point it out. 

“I’m sorry Diana,” the other mom was saying, “but this was the best I could do seeing as  _you_ didn’t even inform me I needed to bring something until yesterday; and you said everything had to be homemade.” 

“Well I would think the ‘world renowned heart surgeon’ could figure out something so simple as baking.” 

Marcus could not see the other moms face from his angle, but he could make out the skin of her shoulders and neck turning red, and he wondered if it was from embarrassment, anger or both. Everyone around the table had paused in their selection making, and he was surprised to see quite a few had amused smirks on their faces. He had been warned that the parents of this school could be catty, but he didn’t think he would see it in such a blatant format. 

“I am sorry if it is not up to standard Diana, but Clarke will be out here soon, and if you could please just let this slide for her sake-“ 

“I am sorry Abby, but I can’t compromise our display for the sake of how your daughter might see you. We are trying to earn money here.” 

The name Clarke sounded so familiar to Marcus, and all at once he remembered Octavia easing her brother about liking a girl with a boy’s name. It had taken all of his energy to keep Bellamy from hitting his sister for her jokes. Clarke had been a big topic of conversation in the weeks that followed, and Marcus found it endearing how smitten the ten-year-old was. 

It was for that reason, that and compassion, that he moved forward and held out a twenty, “I will buy it.” 

The woman holding the…cake…turned and looked at him and for a moment his breath caught. He had seen many a beautiful woman in his life, but there was something about this one, with her large brown eyes and flawless skin that had him feeling dizzy. 

“Mr. Kane,” Diana cooed, her eyes going from menacing to flirty, “surely you would like to treat yourself to a more…delectable sweet.” 

He ignored the woman’s innuendo, and thrust the twenty at her, panic setting in as gorgeous brown eyes followed his every move, “No, this is what I would like, thank you.” 

Free of the money, he turned and plucked the cake from the womans hand with a quick thanks and moved towards the area where the kids would be released. He wasn’t sure what was wrong with him, he was a grown man for god’s sake, and here he was feeling light headed over someone who had never even spoken to him. He prayed the kids would get out quickly so he could get home and forget the beautiful doctor who obviously had no right to be in a kitchen. 

His luck was not on his side however, as the woman decided to follow him, a scowl on her face. 

“Mr. Kane is it?” she asked, hands on her hips, and he nodded in confusion. 

“Mr. Kane, while I appreciate what it is you were trying to do, I did not need a knight in shining armor back there. I can handle Diana.” 

“Oh I am sure you can,” he assured her, “I was just really in the mood for some…pink cake.” 

His lame answer had her softening just a tad, but she still eyed him with a bit of distrust, “Really? So why not try some?” 

Marcus eyed her then looked down at the lumpy concoction in his hands, his stomach churning, “Um, sure. I will do just that.” 

With her watching him like a hawk, he pulled back the plastic wrap over the dessert and broke off a piece with his free hand and plopped in in his mouth. It took all of his effort to chew the substance and force it down his throat, his brain unable to figure out how it could be so crunchy and yet so spongy at the same time. As soon as he got the bite down, he shot her what he hoped was a genuine smile and licked his lips, “Delicious.” 

The woman’s eyebrow arched and she tilted her head to study him, “Really?” 

Unable to lie to her, he sighed and shook his head, “No, I am sorry. It was awful. Did you use salt instead of sugar?” 

There was a moment of silence, and Marcus was just internally berating himself for being so harsh, when the mystifying woman tilted her head back and let out a hearty laugh. 

“God help me,” she offered, “I am a mess in the kitchen. I don’t even know why I try.” 

“Because you love your daughter.” 

She sobered slightly, plucking the cake from his hands and tossing it in a nearby trash can, “That is true, I do love her. That’s why she can not see what I spent my day off doing. She would be mortified. I’m Abby by the way, Abby Griffin.” 

Marcus was just about to offer his hand to her outstretched one, when Bellamy and Octavia came careening out ahead of the crowd of school children, a blonde a few steps behind them. 

“Marcus, you’re here, you’re here!” Eight-year-old Octavia was shouting her arms reaching out to hug him around his waist, and he quickly returned the hug. They had been with him for two months now, serving as their foster day, but O was still surprised each and every time he picked them up. 

“Hey sweetheart,” he greeted, reaching out to muss up Bellamy’s hair, “how was school?” 

“It was good,” the boy volunteered, his eyes traveling to the bake sale that was happening, “did you buy us a treat?”

“Well, I did by Dr. Griffin’s cake, but it was so good I ate the whole thing.” 

“Really?” 

Marcus turned his eyes to the blonde girl who was standing beside his foster son, one who was eyeing him with suspicious blue eyes, “You  _liked_  my mom’s cake?” 

Behind him Abby laughed, and reached out to tug on who he realized was her daughter’s braid, “I told you I could make something good kid.” 

“I know what you told me,” Clarke answered, “I just can’t believe it.” 

For a moment Marcus wondered if the girl would hurt her mother’s feelings, but all she did was earn herself another laugh and a kiss on the forehead. A little relief washed over him to see that there was no true animosity here, just a loving mother and daughter who liked to tease. 

“Tell you what,” he said, reaching for his wallet and pulling some money out to give to Bell, “why don’t you and O take Clarke over to pick out some cookies?” He winked at the boy who glanced quickly at his crush and with a blush took off running for the bake sale, the two girls following him. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” 

Marcus smiled at Abby who stood watching as their kids joined the swarm of others surrounding the desert table, “Trust me, it was for the boy’s benefit. He has a bit of a crush on your daughter.” 

Abby giggled, and leaned close whispering conspiratorially, “Clarke kind of has a crush on him too.” 

“Well, maybe we could play match maker then?” Marcus offered, “Because I know Bell and O are about to hit a major sugar rush. Would you like to join us at the park so they can play off all those cookies?” 

Abby studied him for a second, and Marcus feared he had gone to far, when she smiled and gave him a nod, “I would love that.”


	3. A Calming Effect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Clumsycapitolunicorn prompted: Abby getting cuffed as she is dragged off to the jail cell, and has a panic attack because it reminds her of Mount Weather. Luckily Marcus is already in the cell so he is there to calm her down.

“New prisoner coming through!” 

Marcus looked up from his spot on the bench in the holding cell, wondering who on earth had crossed Pike this time around? He had been thrown in the cell first, after reprimanding the new chancellor for his attack on the grounder army. Sinclair had followed a day later when he was caught trying to use the radio to contact Indra. After that several more people trickled in- all of them having tried to question the actions of Pike as he pushed them closer and closer to the brink of war. 

Arkadia had fallen into madness with their new ruler crazed in his motives against the grounders, and it looked as if yet another person was victim to his wrath. 

Standing from his bench, Marcus moved closer to the door, heart jumping in his throat as we watched Abby being dragged towards the cells, Pike a few feet ahead of her. Annoyance was his first emotion, having told the stubborn woman to stay out of trouble (something she clearly did not do), but that was quickly pushed aside as he saw that she wasn’t being dragged because she was fighting. She was being dragged because she was having trouble getting her footing. 

Marcus pressed closer to the door as the group on the other side approached, his eyes scanning Abby from head to toe, taking in the wild panic in her eyes and the way her arms were twisted behind her-

_Shit_

 

“Un-cuff her!” He shouted as he slammed his fist against the door, panicked by the rapid rise and fall of his former co-leader’s chest; and the way she couldn’t seem to focus her gaze on anything. “Pike you need to un-cuff her!” 

“Relax Marcus,” the chancellor admonished, turning to gesture at his men to release the woman in question, “there is no need for hostility. She was cuffed for her own good, she put up quite the fight against my men.” 

Marcus didn’t respond at first, too busy watching as the men took the handcuffs from Abby’s wrists, and then unceremoniously pushed her into the cell door that the prison guards had just opened. He reached out and caught her as she stumbled through, her legs not holding her weight and cursed silently once more at the rapid breaths on his neck and the trembling flesh beneath his fingers. 

“What was her crime?” He asked Pike, his eyes never leaving Abby’s pale face. 

“We caught her trying to sneak out of one of the side gates. She was going to see her daughter, and we can’t allow that. Clarke is a danger to us now.” 

“Clarke is no danger,” Marcus snarled, his arms wrapping around Abby to keep her steady, “She only wants peace.” 

“She wants peace with people who would rather see us obliterated.”

“That wouldn’t be the case if you hadn’t foolishly killed over 300 innocent men.” 

“Well aren’t you just the pot calling the kettle black?” 

Marcus sucked in a breath, feeling as if he had been punched, but the fists clenching into the front of his shirt, and the whimpers sounding in his ears reminded him that he had more important things to focus on than his own shortcomings. 

“Sir,” one of Pike’s guards said behind him, a man Marcus recognized as a farm station survivor, “Kane has been in here for some time, and still has not seen reason. Perhaps we should make an example of him?” 

All was quiet for a moment, even Abby had stilled a bit, as everyone in the cell and out waited to see what Pike’s response would be. Finally, the man looked Marcus from head to toe, his eyes traveling to the woman in his arms, before offering a toothy grin, “I have a feeling things are going to change. We will give Kane a few more days to think things over before we do anything rash.” 

With that veiled threat he was gone, and Marcus turned his focus on the problem at hand, his eyes trailing over Abby’s face which was growing paler by the second. Not caring that there was a ten-person audience in the room he bent and scooped her up, moving to the farthest corner where he sat on the floor with her on his lap. 

“It’s okay Abby, everything is okay,” he whispered, stroking her hair, his lips pressed against her forehead, “You aren’t restrained anymore. Try to move your arms.” 

Weakly Abby did what she was told, relaxing slightly when she found she did in fact have free movement. 

“Good girl,” he encouraged, kissing her again. Then his eyes fell on her wrists and there was a moment where he wished he could have a free go at Pike so he could beat him into the ground. 

They hadn’t just cuffed her, they had done it roughly, and a little too tight. Her wrists were raw from where the metal at cinched against her skin, and there were fingerprint shaped bruises over the circler scrapes. His brain flashed back to how these same wrists looked months ago after Mount Weather, and it was all too obvious why Abby had panicked so bad. 

Reaching down he grabbed one of her arms and pulled the wrist up to his lips, pressing gentle kisses on the tender flesh. His actions had her shifting, and he looked down to see her eyes peaking up at him through her mussed hair. He was happy to see her breathing was evening out, and her tremors were almost done. 

“Hey there,” he greeted, kissing her nose and trying to keep things light, “you back with us?” 

She looked away, nuzzling against his neck, “They restrained me. I told them I would stop fighting but they wouldn’t listen. Pike said I needed to learn my place.” 

Anger flashed through him once more but he pushed it aside as he brought up her other wrist and bestowed it with kisses, “I am so sorry this happened.” 

“I just wanted to see my daughter. I am so worried…I want to be there for her.” 

Releasing her arm, Marcus leaned down and kissed her lips gently before guiding her head to rest on his shoulder, “I promise you we are going to get to her, just relax for now. We will figure this out.” 

Within minutes Abby, exhausted from her ordeal, was sleeping against him, her body relaxing fully. Marcus took a minute to take her in, sad that she was with him, but also relieved, before he looked up and gestured for Sinclair to come near. 

When his fellow prisoner knelt beside him, Marcus glanced up to make sure the guard wasn’t paying attention before whispering, “I think it is time to get Raven involved; we need to get out of here.”


	4. Your scars tell a story

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> queens-of-darkness prompted: Marcus addresses Abby scars from the shock-lashing.

Marcus pressed his lips against Abby’s moaning as she opened her mouth to grant him access, her taste enhancing as he traced his tongue across the roof of her mouth. He had only kissed her once before this, before they were ripped apart by the pressing needs of their people. He had been imprisoned for days before finally finding an opportunity to escape and run to Lexa; while she was trapped in Arkadia being forced to heal the victims of Pike’s war against the grounders. 

It had been two months since they promised each other they would be careful, two months since he pulled her into a passionate kiss that ended all too soon. 

Now, he stood there in his room backing Abby up towards his cot, as his mouth consumed hers. It seemed almost too good to be true: both this moment, and the hope of peace that was on the horizon. But both were in fact happening. Pike had been removed from leadership in Arkadia, and Lexa was working tirelessly to bring peace to the land. And he was standing here, basking in the love and passion of a woman he had been craving for far too long. 

He groaned as she pressed against him, pulling her head back a tad so she could nibble on his lower lip; and he moved his hands down to the hem of her shirt, fully intending to pull it off of her. Suddenly Abby went rigid and she pulled back, her arms coming up to wrap around her waist. In turn, Marcus went cold at her actions, berating himself for pushing her too far and reading her signs wrong. 

“Abby,” he whispered, daring to move closer to her, “I dint mean to rush things. I apologize.” 

She gazed up at him, nervousness in her eyes, “You didn’t rush things, I promise. I was just hoping…” She paused biting her lip and glancing at her feet, “Can we turn off the lights?” 

Marcus watched her as she stood there, her eyes downcast, a blush on her skin and a tremor in her hands that were still wrapped around her frame. He knew he should do as she asked, and not push his luck, but something told him that was not the right course of action. Instead he moved closer, and lifted her chin with his finger, “Why do you want the lights off?” 

Abby’s blush grew, and she tried to look anywhere but at him as she answered, “I…since we have been on the ground, things have happened. My body…I have changed.” 

Marcus furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out what she was trying to say. Yes, she had changed, they all had. The ground had meant their diets and their way of life had been altered dramatically, but not in a negative way. He was leaner, as was Abby, but both of them had also toned up quite a bit; and their skin had lost its pallor and grown tan from their days outside.  If anything, Abby was more beautiful to him on earth than she had been in the sky, and that was saying something because she had been damn gorgeous when they were amongst the stars. For the life of him he could not figure out why she would be so uncharacteristically insecure, but then memories of their time on the ground flashed back to him. A cold table and the buzz of a drill; the falling of rubble in a torn apart subway station; her screams as an electric baton was held against her flesh. All at once he realized she was not talking about her whole body, just certain parts of it. 

Sighing, he leaned down and kissed her head, “Can I tell you a story?”

Confusion clouded Abby’s eyes at his subject change, but she nodded and he continued. 

“When I was seven, one of the engineers on the Ark gave me a scrap of metal. He had found me wandering around, and when I told him I was trying to find something to give my mom for her birthday he gave it to me. He said I could shape it into a gift. I was so excited, that I took off running for our rooms, hoping my dad would be there so he could help me with my project. I was going much too fast, and I tripped, and the metal came up and sliced me in the cheek.” 

He paused, and brought Abby’s hand up to the scar on his cheek, turning slightly to kiss her palm, “I had to get seven stiches. Which was not fun for a kid who hated needles.” 

“Hated?” Abby interrupted, giggling, “I think you  _still_  hate them.” 

“Not the point,” he chided, nipping at her palm as punishment and earning another giggle.

“Anyway, I was so upset because I was afraid of my scar,” he felt her tense at his words, and knew she was catching on to his reasons for telling her this, “I was afraid people would tease me for it, and do you know what my mom told me?” 

“What?” 

“That scars tell the story of a person. She told me if anyone ever made fun of my scar, or if I felt bad about it that I should remember what it says. It says I was a boy who loved his mother so much that he injured himself in his excitement over giving her a gift.” 

“Why are you telling me this?” 

Marcus smiled, and leaned down to kiss her on the nose, “Because, I want permission to tell you your story.” 

For a moment both of them stood there, and Marcus feared from the look of apprehension on her face, that he had indeed pushed his luck too far; but then she gulped and locked her shoulders in a determined stance before giving him a shaky nod. 

“Thank you,” he whispered, kissing her again before stepping back to reach for her shirt. He eyed her to double check she was okay, and when she didn’t protest, he gently pulled the article from her and dropped it to the ground. Her bra, boots, socks, and underwear all followed, but Marcus did not break eye contact more than necessary as he worked. He needed to focus on her first and foremost, and if he focused too much on her nudity he would lose control and mess everything up. 

Once the last of her clothes had been removed, he smiled at her and guided her back until she bumped into his cot.

“Lay down,” he urged, “I promise I will make it worth your while.” 

Abby smiled shakily, wrapping her hand around his to give it a kiss with a whispered, “I know you will.” Then she laid back as instructed, fidgeting slightly as he finally took her all in. 

She really was perfection, Marcus decided as he gazed upon her full breasts, tanned skin, and long legs that led up to where he desperately wanted to be. However, he restrained his primal urges and removed his shirt, and boots before moving to lay beside her. Once comfortable, his head propped up on one of his hands, he reached his free hand up to brush back the hair on her scalp. There just at her hair line he found a small white scar that he knew was from falling debris. He leaned down and kissed it, before letting his fingers travel down to a scattering of scars along her shoulders, and hands. He kissed each scar and then sat up to press a kiss to her ear. 

“These scars show me a woman who risked her life to save a man, even when the odds did not look good. She is such a brave woman.” 

Abby shivered at his words, her eyes closing with emotion as he kissed the scars once more, before running his hand down her stomach. He was heading towards her thighs, but paused when his eyes fell on dark lines on her belly. 

“Stretch marks,” Abby whispered, blushing as he gazed upon them, “I never have let them bother me before…” 

She broke off and Marcus cursed when he realized his hesitancy had made her even more self conscious.  He smiled at her gently, then traced the markings before bending down to kiss each one. 

“These tell me of a woman who has brought life into the world. She is nurturing, and caring, and holds her daughter above all else, and that is absolutely stunning.”  

A sob sounded above him, and he hastened to rise up and kiss Abby’s lips, assuring her that all was well before he moved down and focused on the mangled scar on her left thigh. He pushed back his own miserable memories of how the scar was earned, and bent to trace every inch of it before following his touch with his lips. He then reached up and took hold of her hands, kissing where the cuffs had dug into her skin and left white lines where there used to be unblemished flesh. Her ankles followed, and then he was back up and nuzzling the scar on her thigh once more. 

“These scars…these beautiful scars…show me a woman who looked death in the face. She was scared, as anyone would be, but she survived. And in her survival she has become even stronger.” 

He pushed up and he captured her lips once more, finding comfort in her breath mingling with his. 

“Are you okay?” He asked as she trembled beneath him, concern coursing through him. 

“I’m fine,” she whispered, a hand tracing up his arm, “Just…feeling a lot of things.” 

Marcus smiled knowingly and kissed her again, “I have a few more scars that I need to study.” 

A shaky breath escaped her and she shook her head slightly, “Marcus please, you don’t have to. I don’t want…you have been through enough.” 

“Even so, it is high time we addressed them. Please Abby.” 

She must have sensed he needed this as much as she did, so she did not protest any further, she just simply nodded and slowly turned onto her stomach revealing the smooth skin of her back. Well…her almost smooth skin. 

Marcus gazed down at the bundle of scars at the base of her spine, and gulped as a war of emotions overtook him. Reminding himself once more that this was not about him, he reached out and traced the mangled flesh, and kissed where he touched- just as he had done with all her other scars. When he was done he gave a shaky breath and rested his head against Abby’s back, pushing back tears. 

“These scars-”he broke off for a moment, trying to gain some semblance of control before continuing, “these scars show me a woman…a virtual goddess…who was trapped by a cruel man. A woman who, so undeservedly, was bound and humiliated. A woman who should have never forgiven the man who did such things. And yet, she is a woman of forgiveness, and grace. And while the man is still not sure how he deserves it, she is allowing him to love her. And god, does he love her.” 

A sob sounded once more from the woman beneath him, and he barely had time to ease back before she was turning and pulling him down into an embrace, her hand guiding his forehead to rest on hers. 

“Marcus…you deserve it. You deserve it, because I am not the only one who has changed down here. You have your scars too,” one of her hands moved down as she spoke, and rested over his heart, “You have physical scars, but you have some here that are much more telling. The culling, my shock lashing, your interactions with the grounders…they have scarred you, and they have shaped you into a different man. A man who is kinder, more understanding, and so loving. Sometimes I fear  _I_ don’t deserve  _you.”_

Marcus laughed at the ridiculous of her last statement, but said nothing as she wiggled down to kiss where her hand was resting. 

“Let’s make a deal, ok?” She asked when she was done peppering his chest with kisses, “Lets stop worrying we are not enough for each other, and just embrace what we have.” 

Marcus pulled her up and pressed his lips hungrily against hers, “Sounds like a deal. So no more second guessing your body?” 

“Nope, at the moment I feel absolutely gorgeous.” 

“Good, and if you ever doubt that you better let me know so I can give you another lesson in how wrong you are.” 

She smiled shyly, and then leaned up to brush her teeth against his ear, “I think it is time to teach me some other lessons.” Her words were accompanied by her leg rubbing against the front of his pants, causing Marcus to growl in the back of his throat. He was definitely not going to say no to that.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bulletg on tumblr prompted: Abby has high fever and Kane takes care of her

_“Marcus!”_

_Her voice was the only thing that kept him going as he crawled slowly through the excruciatingly hot maintenance shaft. Her sweet, yet strong voice, calling out to him from the other side where he knew she was trapped with the other prisoners of Diana’s coup._

_“Marcus, hurry!”_

_He tried to move faster, but his body protested the heat, his limbs feeling weighed down by the sweat forming on his skin, and his brain muggy from the conditions he found himself in. Still he tried to move as fast as he could, refusing to give up, refusing to let her down as he had already let so many people down. He needed to get to her; he needed to pull her from the hell she found herself in. He had only been in this heat for a few minutes, but she had been for hours. She- and the people trapped with her- were most likely dehydrated and near death; and he was the only one who could save them from that._

_“Marcus…”_

_He let out a grunt of frustration as he slid across the floor, ignoring the blisters forming on his stomach where his shirt was riding up; his mind focused solely on the fact that her voice was fading. “I’m coming,” he grunted, miraculously getting himself to speed up his progress, “just hot on I am almost there.”_

_“Marcus…I…can’t”_

_“No…no!” He was at the door at the other end of the shaft, and he made quick work of pulling down the lever, unable to hold back his cry of pain as the scalding metal burned his palm. He didn’t let himself linger on the pain however, as the door opened and he was able to climb out of the shaft into an equally hot, but less stifling, chamber. For a moment he just stood there catching his breath, before turning to open the service bay as Wick had instructed, pausing when he realized something wasn’t right._

_He was nowhere near the service bay. Instead he was standing in the center of the room where the culling had taken place, and while it was empty, he still felt the presence of the 300 who he had sent to slaughter. His stomach rolled, and he took a step back, reaching for the shaft he had just come through, desperate to escape the space that was constantly haunting his every move. Except as he felt for the exit he had just emerged from, his hand met nothing but solid wall._

_“What the hell?”_

_He turned in circles, panicking when he found that all the exits to the room seemed to have disappeared, and for the life of him he could not figure out why. Had the heat muddled his brain so badly that he was hallucinating? He didn’t have time for this, he had to get to the stranded people, and he had to get to Abby._

_“Abby…”_

_As if she had been summoned by his thoughts, the woman in question appeared before him, her limp body slumped against the farthest wall. He ran to her, kneeling and cupping her face in his hands. It was as if it were Deja-vu, as if they had been in this position before, but something wasn’t right. She was too still. Her eyes didn’t flutter before blinking open, why weren’t they fluttering? He slapped her cheek gently, begging her to open her eyes, but she didn’t listen. She just lay there motionless, her lifeless body feeling strangely cold in the hot chamber._

_“Abby…please wake up.”_

_“You are too late.”_

_Jumping he turned and came face to face with Jake who stood just as he had the last time he had seen him, his eyes studying his wife who lay limp in his best friend’s arms._

_“I tried Jake,” he whispered, the words nearly choking him in his grief._

_The ghostly figure gave a haughty laugh, his head shaking in amusement before he hissed, “Not hard enough.”_

Marcus came awake with a jolt and an anguished gasp, his heart racing as the images of his nightmare replayed in his mind. It took him a moment to realize it had been just that, and that he was no longer in space trying to save his people; but on the ground helping to make them a new and more substantial home. With relief he stared up at his ceiling, panting slightly, reminding himself of that fact, and the fact that he had rescued Abby, that she too had made it to earth. They had both survived, and were continuing to do so, and they were doing it together.

It was as he was comforting himself that his brain fully returned to the moment and Marcus felt an incredible heat against him. For a brief second he panicked again, automatically thinking he was in the dream once more, but reason quickly correct the absurd thought. He was obviously in his room, but for some reason- despite it being winter- he was burning up. No, that wasn’t right. _He_ wasn’t burning up, the person next to him was.

Lifting his head to look beside him, Marcus cursed as he took in Abby where she slept curled against him, her head resting on his chest. Her face was pale and drawn, beads of perspiration dripping down her forehead, even as her body shivered slightly. It took only the lightest of touches against her cheek for him to fully feel the extent of her fever, and he wasted no time pulling away from her and grabbing an extra blanket to tuck around her. As he worked on making sure she was warm, Abby’s eyes opened blearily, and she tried to speak, but he shushed her, and moved to pour some water from the jug that was resting on a nearby table.

He returned to her side within seconds and held the glass to her lips, praising her as she took a few sips before, gently guiding her to lay her head back down.

“Marcus…I’m cold…”

He smiled, and kissed her head, “I am sure you are sweetheart, you have quite the fever from the look of things.”

“It’s been going around.”

Her words were an understatement, if he had ever heard one. More than thirty people in their camp had come down with a virus in the past few days. It was nothing serious, just high fevers and body aches, but Abby had run her self-ragged treating them all; and in the process it appeared she had taken on the disease as well.

“I am very aware of that. I am also aware that someone told you to rest so your immunity wouldn’t slip.”

Even in her sickly, exhausted state she managed an eye roll accompanied with a murmured “Jack ass,” before her eyes closed once more and the fever swept her away. He watched her for a second, adjusting the blankets to make sure she was adequately covered, before he stood and radioed for someone to send Jackson to their quarters.

~~~

Twenty-one hours later, Marcus was going from calm, caring boyfriend to nervous wreck. Jackson had been by twice since his initial visit to check on Abby, and had assured him that the medicine that fought the virus would kick in eventually; however it was taking a lot longer than Marcus would have preferred.

“She wore herself out,” Jackson told the panicked man on his third visit, “You know she has barely had a moment to herself until you dragged her to bed last night. I don’t think she even sat down for 30 hours. Her body will heal, it just needs more time.”

Logic told Marcus that everything would be okay, that Abby would be up and about in no time, and that the illness was not a serious one. However, there was a darker part of him that ate away at him as he sat by her side, bathing her head with cool compresses.

“Abigail, you need to pull through,” he whispered as her fever grew higher instead of decreasing as it should have, hitting 103.5, “I can’t stand seeing you like this.”

He didn’t get an answer of course, as the fever mixed with the medicine Jackson had given he had her completely knocked out. That didn’t keep him from talking though. He told her some of his ideas for expanding the camp’s gardens, as well as his plans for a new guard rotation; and when he ran out of work related things to mule over, he moved on to telling her some of his favorite parts about being on the ground.

He was just going into how big the Eden tree had grown, when the sickly woman gave a soft moan, and shifted under the blankets, brow scrunching as if she were in distress. Her eyes opened as he watched on, and for a moment Marcus felt elated before he realized how glassy and far away her gaze seemed.

Bending forward, he ran his fingers gently over her cheek, his eyes meeting her unfocused ones, “Abby, sweetheart, are you okay?”

“I’m scared,” she whispered.

She sounded so childlike, so delicate, and Marcus resisted the urge to scoop her up, afraid jostling her too much would make her feel worse.

“There is nothing to be scared of, I promise. You just have the virus that has hit camp; you will be good as new in a day or two.”

Abby’s face did not change, and she barely seemed to acknowledge his words. Instead her wary eyes darted left and right before meeting his look again, “Where’s Marcus?”

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Marcus,” she whispered in a panic, “the man who was with me. Where did he go? Is he in another part of the mountain? Is he with Clarke?”

Marcus stared down at her, his brain finally catching up and his heart shattering as he realized she had become delusional in her fever. Jackson had warned him it could happen, but he hadn’t realized how difficult it would be when it did.

“Abby, I am right here,” he soothed, “I am right here.”

“I don’t want you! I want Marcus!” She tried to pull away, nearly rolling off the bed in her efforts, and he instinctively reached out to steady her, his hands gentle on her shoulders. Abby didn’t like that however, if the way she shrunk back was any indication, and he was quick to raise his hands in surrender.

“Abby listen to me, please. I am Marcus. Just look at me, look at me.”

She stilled for a moment, her wild eyes flitting across his face before she began to shake her head and sob, “No, no no. You aren’t Marcus. You are an imposter! I need the _real_ Marcus. Please.”

Marcus was going to try to reason with her once more, but Jackson chose that moment to come back to check on her, not even bothering to knock as he swooped into the room, a hopeful smile on his face. “Has she made any progress?”

“Jackson!” Abby cried out, scurrying onto her knees and startling the younger man, “Jackson, please! You have to help me! I need Marcus, and this man won’t tell me where he is! Please Jackson, we need to find him and get out of here before they hurt us with the drills.” Her face grew paler as she spoke, and Marcus resisted the urge to reach for her as she began to shake, “Oh god, what if we are too late…Marcus…no…he hates needles Jackson we need to help him.”

Marcus took in her state, her words buzzing in his ears as he stepped back in anguish. Here Abby was, more sick than he had ever seen anyone, thinking she was back in the mountain where she was recently tortured, and she was thinking about him. She was worried about him. It was so typical of the woman, so predictable, but at the same time he found himself blown away by the whole ordeal. He could think of nothing to say, nothing to do to assure her that everything was fine, that he was fine; but luckily for him he didn’t have to.

“Abby,” Jackson whispered, moving towards his friend and mentor and grabbing one of her trembling hands, “Look around. You aren’t in the mountain. You got out remember? Clarke came and helped you get out. You are in your chambers, and Marcus is safe, he is right there.”

For a moment the sick woman looked at her assistant with annoyance and doubt, and Marcus was sure she was going to protest some more, that she was going to insist that everything was doomed and that they were going to die at the hands of the mountain men; but instead she shook her head slightly and her vision seemed to clear.

Her gaze flitted from Jackson over to where Marcus stood behind him, and she opened her mouth to speak, only to have her eyes roll back as she collapsed against Jackson’s chest. Marcus’ heart missed a beat at the sight, and he staggered forward, casting a worried glance at the other man as he gently lowered Abby down onto the bed.

“She is fine Marcus,” Jackson whispered, as he looked her over, a bemused smile on his face from watching the ‘big tough commander’ fret over Abby like a mother hen, “I told you delusions were normal, and she seems to have worn herself out in her worried state. I have seen it happen a hundred times before. In fact, I am certain from past experience that she will be past the worst of it in the next few hours.”

“Let’s hope you are right,” Marcus murmured, his hand busy stroking the damp hair from Abby’s forehead, “I am not sure how much more of this I can take.”

~~~

Sure enough, Jackson was right, as it was only three hours later (almost a full day after Marcus woke up to find Abby had fallen ill to begin with) that he realized her fever was all but gone, resting at a 99.3. He was just breathing a sigh of relief and thanking the heavens, when she stirred and opened her eyes to look up at him in confusion.

For one heart stopping moment, he was worried she was still delirious; but in the next that worry fled as she grinned tiredly, “You look like shit.”

He laughed, and bent to kiss her head, tugging her as he did so she could lie against him in her favorite position, a content smile on his lips. She was going to be just fine.


End file.
